'Game changing' Great British Bonus scheme passes £8 million mark

The Great British Bonus passed a landmark at Newmarket on Wednesday when Discover Newmarket Fillies’ Restricted Stakes winner Mammas Girl picked up a £20,000 GBB Bonus, meaning the scheme has paid out more than £8 million in bonuses since its launch in June 2020.

It proved to be a busy day for GBB as another five bonuses worth £70,000 would go on to be won including two fillies picking up their second bonuses; You Wear It Well, trained by Jamie Snowden, winning £20,000 in a novice hurdle at Worcester and juvenile Hill Cove, trained by Jonathan Portman who was collecting her second £10,000 with a strike in a novice contest at Kempton.

Bonuses have been paid out in 586 races to 462 fillies and mares, with 98 winning more than once including Blackberry who landed three bonuses adding up to £60,000 soon after the scheme’s launch.

Another is Star of Lady M, a Tattersalls Book 3 graduate who has won has won three bonuses worth £50,000, while over jumps the Dan Skelton-trained Gentle Connections looks set to become the scheme’s first £100,000 winner.

The TBA’s Deputy Chairman, Philip Newton, said: “GBB was eight years in the planning, and we launched it just as racing restarted after the first Covid-19 lockdown in June 2020. To say that in a little over two years later, we have paid out £8 million in bonuses is amazing.

"Some 65 per cent – more than £5 million – has been paid to owners and 20 per cent – £1.6million – is back in the pockets of the breeders. The industry has truly embraced the scheme and it’s been a game changer.”

Operations Executive Charlie Newton said: “We’ve just had our deadline for foal registrations and, once again, we’ve seen a marked increase in the numbers nominated to the scheme. We’d expected to see an increase in the foal crop, but even with that taken into consideration, we’re seeing more and more breeders investing in GBB.

"One of GBB’s aims is to increase the interest in and value of British-bred fillies at the sales, and with more than 500 GBB yearlings passing through the sales rings recently, it seems to be doing just that.

"The yearling sales are always a busy time of year, and we were thrilled to see huge demand for GBB fillies. In Book 3, for example, fillies registered with GBB were selling for an average of £10,000 more than those not registered."

Breeder David Hodge of Llety Farms added: "GBB has been a fantastic initiative. It was just what the industry needed for these fillies. I’ve bred a couple of bonus winners now, which has been great, but it really has raised the profile of British-bred fillies at the sales. Buyers come looking just for GBB fillies and they’re willing to pay a bit more for them too."

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